News Analysis: Germany discusses striker options

A comfortable victory like the 3-0 win against underdogs Norway might not give immediate cause to talk about a striker problem, but 2014 world champions Germany nevertheless find themselves in the midst of an discussion about their options up front.

After the first round of qualifying matches in Group C on the road to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, it is apparent that the title holders lack world-class forwards. While the goals scored by Thomas Mueller (2) and Joshua Kimmich (both of Bayern Munich) secured an easy 3-0 victory in Oslo, several German players have called for radical changes in the country's coaching of promising youngsters.

It is obvious that 2014 Brazil victors Germany do indeed have a serious striker problem. The country that for decades could rely on the goals supplied by some of the most effective strikers football has ever produced like Gerd Mueller or Miroslav Klose have presently run out of reliable goal scorers.

"Our coaching was focused on tactics and technique. We maybe took too close a look on the Spanish short passes and possession," Bayern Munich striker Thomas Mueller said in advance of Germany's World Cup 2018 qualification opener.

"We don't have enough options up front," Mueller said before kick-off in Norway. "In the next years we urgently need forwards that are world class." His club companion Mats Hummels called Germany's striker problem a "serious problem we have to solve, and soon". Hummels adds that Germany have many high quality "providers", but need "more players scoring goals...more activity and domination in the box". Hummels also accused the German midfield, players like Mesut Oezil, of not being dangerous enough when it comes to goal scoring.

Mueller did note that Mario Gomez (VfL Wolfsburg), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) and Julian Draxler (VfL Wolfsburg) were all unavailable for the Norway game due to injury. The German striker discussion has come to a head only a few months after Germany lost the Euro 2016 semifinal against tournament hosts France. Germany failed to score due to their weakness in the opponent's box.

Recently, Germany head coach Joachim Loew announced a change in his side's game. The 56-year-old is demanding a more vertical game, meaning more direct action towards the opponent's goal and an increase in speed after winning the ball.

"We need to be more precise and direct," Loew said. He also demanded his team be more dominant and concentrated on their World Cup qualification campaign.

"If a player like Mesut Oezil is not the goal scorer, he has to be the one delivering passes to others in the box, but there has to be someone," Hummels said.

The Germans won their first qualifier in Norway, but still lacked effectiveness when going for goal. Along with Gomez and Reus, sidelined Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund) and Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich) were chosen to take over striking responsibilities. When Mueller scored the opening goal with an Oezil assist, Joshua Kimmich doubled the score just before half-time with his first-ever goal for Germany. After not scoring for 603 minutes (his last goal came back in October 2015), Kimmich then chalked up his second goal on the night and his 34th in total for his country.

Norway this Sunday were far from a challenge for the Germans, who always faced an easy task with Group C. In Joachim Loew's 139th game as head coach, Germany continued their winning ways, employing a 4-5-1 formation in their World Cup qualifying effort. The 3-0 win in Norway was their 42nd game without a defeat (32 victories/10 draws). Still, in comparison to other leading football nations, Germany lacks world class attacking options.

Mario Goetze, the man that scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 win in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina, proved a disappointment and was substituted. The German striker problem becomes even more obvious when strikers like Mario Gomez are sidelined. Other than Gomez, who struggled in the two years before the European Championships 2016, there is no adequate central striker.

A short while ago, Loew seemed determined to shape his team's future without a spearhead, convinced that other players like midfielders or wing backs could do the goal scoring job. Euro 2016 in France finally convinced Loew that he was too hasty to reach this conclusion. The task of turning things around will take time. The two goals scored by Thomas Mueller may help for the moment, but it can't solve Germany's larger, and more lingering, striking dilemma. Endit